Sig Christenson is a veteran military reporter who has made nine trips to the war zone. He writes regularly for Hearst about service members, veterans and heroes, among other topics. He is also the co-founder and former president of Military Reporters and Editors, founded in 2002.

331st Training Squadron

08/11/2012

An Air Force colonel was relieved of his command Friday amid a growing sex scandal involving basic training instructors and recruits at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland.

Col. Glenn Palmer lost command of the 737th Training Group, which trains more than 35,000 airmen a year at Lackland.

He was removed by Col. Eric Axelbank, commander of the 37th Training Wing at Lackland.

The San Antonio Express-News was told Axelbank “lost confidence” in Palmer, a point man in the base's efforts to identify and remove instructors who may have been involved in sexual relationships with recruits, many of them in basic training.

He also has worked to protect recruits from similar incidents.

Palmer is the second Lackland commander to be relieved in a scandal that has seen 15 instructors fall under investigation.

Lt. Col. Mike Paquette lost his job June 20 as commander of the 331st Training Squadron after Axelbank also lost confidence in his continued leadership. The Air Force has listed 38 trainees as victims.

Axelbank, the wing's commander for just over a year, will leave his command for a Pentagon job Sept. 4.

Colleen McGee, a spokeswoman for the 37th Training Wing, said Axelbank is not being forced out as a result of the scandal.

“Changes of command happen in leadership sometimes in one year, sometimes in two years,” she said. “There's not a set time on when they change.”